SC questions ‘leprosy-free’ tag for India

SC questions ‘leprosy-free’ tag for India

News

1.  Supreme Court has questioned the ‘leprosy-free’ tag for India.

Important Facts

2. Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae
3. It usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves. The mode of transmission of leprosy is still not known.
4. India was declared leprosy-free on December 31, 2005.
5. National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) is a centrally sponsored health scheme under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is considered to be the largest leprosy eradication plan in world.

Supreme Court Judgment

6.  India has underestimated leprosy and diverted funds meant to eliminate the curable disease for 18 long years.
7.  Only 543 districts of the total 642 districts in the country have achieved the World Health Organization-required prevalence rate of less than one case of leprosy for 10,000 persons.

 Implications of Underestimation

8.  This has resulted in the integration of leprosy in general health services thereby leading to diversion of funds which would have otherwise been dedicated to eliminating leprosy.
9. Patients and their families continue to suffer from leprosy and its stigma.

• They are denied their fundamental right to food.
• They are not issued BPL cards.
• They are deprived of other basic amenities.

10.  This results in violation of the fundamental right to equality and right to live with dignity.

Guidelines issued by court

11.  The court directed the government to be transparent about leprosy and conduct periodic national surveys to gauge its detection rate.
12. It asked both the centre and state governments to create awareness campaigns to educate the public about the various initiatives including free availability of Multi Drug Therapy (MDT).
13. It asked the government to publicize the fact the disease is curable.
14. The court also banned the use of images of disfigured leprosy patients; instead it called for the use of “positive” photographs of those cured of leprosy in the campaigns.
15. It directed the government to ensure that leprosy patients do not face discrimination in hospitals and schools.
16. It asked for leprosy patients to be provided with BPL cards which would secure their right of food.